Show Utah oil production for 1 I 76 shows marked decrease I I Production of or oil in Utah I reached an all time peak of or I million barrels of or oil in 1975 highest since million barrels was produced in 1959 This time all peak was not exceeded In 1976 and may never happen again Production of or 40 million barrels per year requires sustained production of or barrels per day and Utah's dally daily average has slipped far Car below this level Latest estimate for Cor early December is barrels per day according to a statistical study by Howard R. R assistant director and Carlton Stowe mineral information spec specialist list Utah Geological and Mineral Survey ACCORDING to statistics of the Utah Division of Oil Gas and and Mining oil production in inthe inthe inthe the first seven months of 1976 compared with the same period in 1975 is down percent Utah's record oil production in 1975 was achieved mainly by prolific production from the giant Greater Altamont Altamont- Bluebell field in Duchesne and Uintah Counties Discovered in 1970 this field produced million barrels in 1975 from Crom over wells almost 58 percent percent per per- cent of Utah's total Daily production averaged about barrels per day for Cor the year Most of the rest of Utah's oil production tion in 1975 came from Crom older fields fields- many of which are in advanced stages of declining output Flush production from Greater Bluebell Altamont-Bluebell was able to reverse the overall decline in 1975 but it is apparent apparent ap ap- parent this will not happen in 1976 and in the foreseeable future TilE THE GREATER Altamont- Altamont Bluebell field has reached its natural production peak and has begun to decline an expected expected ex ex- petted phenomena related to the nature of or the reservoir and the problems problems' of or producing the viscous waxy oil However the decline is clearly more drastic than normal From the barrel per day rate averaged through 1975 Greater Bluebell Altamont-Bluebell has slipped to about barrels per day in August 1976 In a little over 12 months production from the field is down barrels per day Translated Into dollars this is a decrease of or economic product valued at about per day 6 million per month or 75 million per year The impact of this on the economy of or orthe the Uintah Basin and Utah undoubtedly will be felt Celt in the near future Utah's other giant oil field Greater Aneth in San Juan County has showed two production peaks Discovered in 1956 the first peak resulted from prolific initial production in 1959 More recently another peak of production has come from a massive water- water flooding program and drilling of additional field wells At the end of 1974 Greater Aneth was producing barrels of oil daily dally In mid 1976 the rate was about barrels per day Greater Red Wash another large Uintah Basin field was discovered in 1951 and reached a peak of production in the early In 1974 it averaged barrels per day and in 1975 about barrels per day Its rate of production in mid 1976 was down to about barrels per per day Bridger Lake field in northern northern northern nor nor- thern Summit County a large producer since its 1966 discovery produced 13 million barrels in 1968 11 million barrels in 1972 and barrels In 1975 Lisbon field south of or Moab produced just under 4 million barrels in its peak year In 1965 but had declined to about one million barrels per year in 1975 Upper Valley field southwest of 01 Escalante produced 26 million barrels in its peak year in 1972 but is now down to 15 million barrels annually Oil production in Utah comes mostly from seven large fields In 1975 these fields contributed almost 97 percent of the state total and in time all cumulative production they have contributed 94 percent of the states state's million barrel total The remaining 50 or so fields are of oC relatively minor importance These seven fields are tin in order of 1975 production Greater Bluebell Altamont-Bluebell Duchesne and Uintah Counties Greater Aneth Meth San Juan County Greater Red Wash Uintah County Upper Valley Garfield County Lisbon San Juan County Bridger Lake Summit County Ashley Valley Uintah County TilE THE ONLY Y bright spot in Utah's petroleum picture is increasing exploration activity in the belt area of Summit and Rich counties and growing production from Crom the areas area's only field Pineview in Summit County Discovered in 1975 the field now has six wells producing about 1600 barrels per day Five other wells are being drilled in the field and five others elsewhere in Summit and Rich Counties Despite optimistic estimates of the productivity of Pineview it will take a dramatic increase in I production there and additional discoveries elsewhere to offset the barrel per day decline at Greater Bluebell Altamont-Bluebell Bluebell Only 95 wells have been drilled In Utah to date this year compared to at this time last year Or Only y one discovery has been made in 1976 compared to six in 1975 Of the six discoveries made in 1975 only one Pineview Is considered to be of major importance Unless supplemented by production from large new discoveries Utah's oil output appears headed for Cor Irreversible decline The only factor that can halt this trend is a revival of production in the Greater Bluebell Altamont-Bluebell field The peculiar nature of oC the reservoir and oil in this field has made attempts at secondary recovery only partially successful and often frustrating flog and very expensive concluded the study |